How Does Card Counting Work?

September 1, 2016

Card counting is a technique that players may use to try and gain an advantage over the odds of a casino game. It’s almost exclusively used when playing Blackjack, as that is one of the few games where the cards are limited to a smaller number, and keeping track of what’s happening is somewhat simpler.

Card counting has built up quite a reputation, and some of that has become urban myth. You may have heard players mention how they count cards and win every time, or how they know a guy who knows a guy who beat the house in Vegas, and walked away a millionaire. The reality is somewhat less exciting. Card counting is a technique, and like any technique it requires a bit of skill and practice to get it right.

So how does it actually work? The basic concept is that by keeping track of the cards that have been dealt, a player can work out what the next cards dealt are likely to be. This theoretically gives them an advantage, as they are able to place their bets with greater knowledge than other players. There are a lot of techniques for card counting, and you can even buy books on exactly how to do it, as it requires both observational skill and mathematic skill. First, you have to be able to keep track of the cards dealt. You need to be able to work out what’s been played, and compare it to the cards that are left. Next, you have to have a good understanding of the odds of any given card being the next to be dealt, and you need to be able to work that out even when there are 4 players at the table. It sounds pretty complex doesn’t it?

Card counting can be very complicated. So much so, that there are at least 5 completely different techniques for calculating the mathematics. As a result, some very ingenious people have created machines to do the calculations for them; however, these are categorically illegal in every casino in the world. Card counting using your brain, on the other hand, is a very contentious issue. For example, casinos in Vegas will likely usher you gently out the door if they even suspect you of counting. In New Jersey, however, it’s against the law to ban a player for counting, as it’s considered a skill not a cheat.

Now you know it works, why not give a game of Blackjack at Mummys Gold a try!